Angel
Angels are beings of Light and Sound that originate in the High Heavens. They are ruled by the Angiris Council, the five mighty Archangels of Justice, Hope, Wisdom, Valor and Fate. They are diametrically opposed to the Demons of the Burning Hells, with whom they have been locked in constant, unending conflict since the dawn of creation. Angels are said to be birthed from the Crystal Arch, which hums with sound, music, and power, and believed to be the Spine of Anu. Characteristics The Angelic host believes in strict discipline and order and wages a constant battle for the sake of all creation against the demonic hordes of the Burning Hells who seek to turn existence into pure chaos and enslave humanity for their own ends. In the Diablo universe, Angels are somewhat different from their Judeo-Christian counterparts. While most Angels strive to bring discipline into the world and oppose chaos, and they are said to fight to protect mankind against demonic oppression,Diablo I Manual, page 62-63. they will go through any means to accomplish it. Angels are sometimes described as being very rigid, or (arguably) overzealous - for instance, when they discovered the world of Sanctuary, the Angiris Council first contemplated destroying the hidden realm along with all life because of its partly demonic origins. Inarius, a renegade Angel and the creator of Sanctuary, wanted its inhabitants to worship him and fuel his ego, although he appears to be the only known Angel to desire this. While some are sympathetic to humans, such as Auriel, some freely offer advice and guidance, even in the bowels of Hell itself, such as Hadriel, and some go as far as continually aiding them in their struggles with the Evils and their many servants, mortal and demonic, such as Tyrael, the forces of Heaven have thus far largely ceased to interact with Sanctuary and with humanity and interfere with the affairs of mortals, allowing each to choose their own path, for good or for evil. Even so, in battle, Angels can strike as much fear in mortal hearts as demons. They wield the elemental powers of Ice and Lightning and are expert melee fighters. The Seraphim division of the Angelic Army has been known to sweep entire legions of Demons in a single day. A fallen angel is an angel that has been exiled or banished from the High Heavens. This can come to be because of corruption, or more often such banishment is a punishment for disobeying or rebelling against the Angiris Council. Another way is for deliberate betrayal by an angel. Angels are seen as hooded figures, surrounded in a shroud of light. Their faces are usually not visible; though they appear shadowy they are described as radiating pure light. They have tendrills on their backs that give the illusion of wings of fire (stated in The Kingdom of Shadow). Their skin also appears to be glowing. At the latest Blizzcon 2011 it was revealed that angels were creatures of light and sound, while their forms are often represented as creatures wearing armor that the actual wings on their backs are their true forms. Their physical appearances are purely for our benefit. Fallen Angels The fall of Izual ]] Izual was a great lieutenant and friend to the Archangel Tyrael. He once led a fierce attack upon the Hellforge as the creation of the dark demonblade Shadowfang was nearing completion. During the battle that ensued, Izual was overcome by legions of Chaos and was lost to the Darkness. His body was corrupted by the Prime Evils as they forced his soul into the body of a demon, turning him into a demonic monstrosity. They forced him to betray his own kind and give up Heaven's most guarded secrets. Izual became a corrupt shadow of his former self; a fallen angel trusted neither by Heaven nor Hell. The fall of Inarius As punishment for conspiring with demons and creating Sanctuary without the knowledge of the Angiris Council, Inarius and his followers were given over to the Prime Evil Mephisto, who sought vengeance for Inarius' hand in the destruction of the Triune. In exchange, Mephisto formed a pact with the Council according to which he would never again tread upon Sanctuary or interfere with the lives of its people. Inarius was bound by tremendous chains whilst barbed hooks slowly tore the wings of his back. The room was covered in mirrors, forcing Inarius to watch as his once glowing skin was stretched and broken. Followers of Inarius? According to official sources, the Seraphim were 'followers of Inarius who were made to pay for the destruction of an infernal temple'. However it was revealed in The Sin War (novels) that Inarius was captured by the Angiris Council and given to Mephisto in exchange for the continued survival of Sanctuary. There was no mention of any followers being extradited. The Sin War novels have since been deemed canon by Blizzard Entertainment, shrouding the origins of the Overlords in even greater mystery. It could be that the Seraphim did not follow Inarius, but the only other known fallen Angel, Izual. As stated by Tyrael, Izual was captured by the Prime Evils after an ill fated assault and subsequently corrupted. Tyrael: "Yet, against my wishes he led an ill-fated assault upon the fiery Hellforge itself. Despite his valor and strength, Izual was captured by the Prime Evils and twisted by their perverse power." Diablo II, Act V: The Fallen Angel (quest). However, the original Seraphim were supposedly captured after the destruction of an infernal temple, whereas Izual was captured after an assault upon the Hellforge. In the Diablo Manual, it is written: "He bound Inarius with tremendous chains and slowly tore the wings from the back of the angel. Great barbed hooks were then used to stretch out the once glowing skin and his features were distorted by vile powers. Many of the followers of Inarius were given as gifts to Baal and Diablo, but the rest were molded to match the bloated image of the now crippled angel. To this day, Inarius is said to be trapped in Hell within a chamber of mirrors, his eyelids torn from his face as he is forced to gaze upon his misshapen form for all eternity. His misguided followers now serve as Hell's taskmasters, taking the anguish of their lost glory out upon the bodies of others." Notes Category:Lore